As I See It: Road trips arent like they used to be

Published 1:16 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

I travel in excess of 12,000 miles a year, the majority of which is over crowded highways and interstates. Driving has become a tedious chore as the amount of traffic, passenger vehicles mixing with the huge increase in trucks of all kinds and sizes, expands.

What used to be an enjoyable trip, with an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature now can be hours on constant alert, gripping the wheel. You have to be ready to respond instantly to whatever pops up out of nowhere that may call for a quick lane change or perhaps a hard application of the brakes. Driving is not nearly as much fun as it used to be, in fact now it's a hard job. It can wear you down more than the eight-hour-a-day job does.

Along with the increase in travelers comes a growing need for accommodations; restaurants, motels, fuel stops. Everyone wants a place to get off the road and just relax. As traffic has increased, competition in the motel businesses has become intense. Motels number six-to-10 or more at just about every other exit along most interstate highways.

Not too many years ago, people could chose a motel by its chain name and know what to expect. You counted on a certain franchise and traveled until you located a name you trusted. It was not unusual to call ahead and make reservations at your favorite motel. Today, making reservations ahead can be difficult if not impossible because you have no idea how long it will take you to reach your destination.

A trip you made a few months ago in seven hours may take twelve due to road repairs, detours, accidents or just plain old heavy traffic. Unable to judge exactly how far you may travel in a day, you often have to take your chances on where you can stay. You just drive until you think you've gone far enough and start to tire out, then pull off at an exit that has a choice of many familiar named motels.

As you exit you are nearly blinded with bright signs advertising various offerings such as; late check out OK, continental or buffet breakfast, in-room coffee etc. When you see a franchise name you've had a good experience with, you drive in expecting a good nights rest and breakfast when you awake. Let me tell you about a few experiences I've had in the last few years.

As we planned a recent trip to a popular resort destination, my wife, Pat, sent for a booklet with a list of motels. She hoped to call ahead and make a reservation. After calling a few and finding they were all booked up, we discussed the possibility of just skipping this stop and traveling to another place. We had planned to spend a few days in this popular resort area so she decided to try a few more calls. As she read over all the ads, she came across a franchise motel a short distance away that advertised a lighted parking area with surveillance. They noted in their ad the motel was located right next to the resort we planned to visit. Recognizing the franchise name, she placed a call. "Oh great," she said, "they have a vacancy, but the price is a little high." We decided to go ahead and make the reservation - after all, the ad said they were right next door to where we were going and they even offered a light breakfast.

Upon our arrival at the motel, we discovered instead of being next door to the resort we wanted to visit, they were two blocks away next door to the resorts parking facility. Their parking lot was poorly lighted and the security cameras were dangling from the poles they had been mounted on. Since it was late in the day and the manager upgraded our room to one with a jacuzzi we reluctantly decided to stay. About 2 a.m. the next morning we awoke to hear people running past our room screaming, "He has a gun!" Needless to say the rest of the night was sleepless. A call to the office went unanswered; they were probably as frightened as we were. The next morning, the two boxes of stale doughnuts offered for "breakfast" were not inviting. We could not leave fast enough.

On another trip we stopped at a rather large motel with a name similar to a franchise name and found the linens had not been changed. Needless to say we didn't stay there either.

We have had many very pleasant experiences in motel stays but have learned to expect almost anything. We always check the room first before paying. Another thing you can check is the breakfast claims. Some turn out to be very good but we encountered one buffet that must have been visited by animals before we arrived and after a quick look breakfast didn't sound like a good idea anyway.

Oh yes, about continental breakfast claims. Just a few weeks ago while traveling home, we stayed at a very nice motel. We were really disappointed when the continental breakfast turned out to be weak coffee and old bagels - perhaps imported from a different continent.

I believe traveling requires caution in many ways, both on and off the road. Be cautious where you stay and hope the fire hall is not out your back door or trains do not pass nearby.